The Alliance bulletin Providing key information on a no-frills format for professional who travel to write, edit, broadcast or create images. Editor : Ashley Gibbins : [email protected] Issue 121 : August 2012 : www.itwalliance.com Section one : Section two (ongoing opportunities) : Opportunities Ongoing press trip opportunities New partners and agencies Travel products and services News and leads Travel guides What’s on Reasons to write about A place to stay Registering with the Alliance To register with the Alliance visit : www.itwalliance.com, and register as a : Member : travel journalists Editor : editors of publications Partner : tour, travel, transport and tourism industry representatives, or an Agency : PR and marketing agencies with travel related clients The Alliance Press Card The International Travel Writers Alliance Press Card now provides Alliance journalists with a formal recognition of their status and standing within the profession. For more information email [email protected]. The The Global Travel ITWA Prepaid Master Card The International Travel Writers Alliance has launched its Global Travel ITWA Prepaid MasterCard, a new initiative brought to you in partnership with Global Currency Exchange Network, one of the UK’s leading foreign exchange companies. The Prepaid Card is a smart and cost effective way to carry euros or dollars abroad -simply preload your Card then use it like a debit card to pay for goods at thousands of shops, restaurants and other outlets. See travel products and services (below) or visit : https://itwa.gcencurrencycards.com/?r=1952. Join and follow http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2978414&trk=hb_side_g @writersalliance Opportunities Alliance members looking to take advantage of any of the following opportunities should be on assignment, with a commission or able to obtain one. The Western Lake District Coast, UK The Western Lake District Coast has been showcased in a new collaboration between celebrity Chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and local wine merchant and Whitehaven Festival organiser Gerard Richardson. Jean-Christophe and Gerard first worked together in 2010 to highlight Cumbrian produce, in a book entitled ‘A Mad Frog and an Englishman Go Out in the Cumbrian Sun’. The new collaboration, called ‘A Mad Frog and an Englishman Go Fishing’ follows the pair as they go in search of the freshest available fish and seafood and meet the characters that fish the local waters and keep the area’s long seafaring heritage alive. Visit : www.western-lakedistrict.co.uk for information on the area’s many foods, activities and accommodation offerings. To arrange a press visit please contact Greg Stephenson at [email protected]. EcoExperiencias in El Salvador EcoExperiencias in El Salvador is inviting Alliance members to explore the adventure travel opportunities this country offers. Media with a strong assignment (s) are invited to participate in media tours with EcoExperiencias in the months of October and November 2012. The hosted media visitation program is "Land Only" and does not include international air. EcoExperiencias El Salvador has developed itineraries with international tour operators such as GAP Adventures and ResponsibleTravel.com. The staff at EcoExperiencias seeks to work with adventure and ecotourism firms across the U.S. and Europe to create unique itineraries with its growing list of well-trained inbound operators Visit : www.ecoexperienciaselsalvador.com. Contact: Sara Widness at [email protected]. Extraordinary: Unusual shaped handbags,the Museum of Bags and Purses in Amsterdam 18 September 2012 to 10 March 2013 The Museum of Bags and Purses Extraordinary exhibition will display handbags that have unusual shapes and sizes, including those resembling a fan, shark, or vase. The Museum of Bags and Purses is home to the world's largest collection of handbags. Comprising more than 4,000 objects, the collection offers a broad view of this popular item's history. It includes bridal bags, pockets, coin purses, reticules, satchels, evening bags and designer bags by top fashion houses such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Hermès. Visit : www.tassenmuseum.nl/en and www.visitholland.com. For press trips opportunities contact: Rianne Ojeh at [email protected]. Copyright © 2012 ITWA www.internationaltravelwriteralliance.com 2 London Cocktail Week, Seven Dials, Covent Garden October 2012 London Cocktail Week, the biggest drinks festival in the UK will be held in the Seven Dials area of Covent Garden. From Monday 8 to Sunday 14 October, the area will be encouraging visitors to experience the capital’s cocktail culture in the area’s mix of high end luxury hotels, underground bars, retail spaces and exclusive members clubs. There will be tastings, masterclasses, pop up shops and cocktail parties. Registrations for the £4 London Cocktail Week wristband will open in August 2012 at Londoncocktailweek.com. Seven Dials, Covent Garden's 'village', offers independent boutiques, heritage brands, quality British labels and indulgent beauty and grooming salons plus a diverse selection of food and drink establishments. The area includes Monmouth Street, Earlham Street, Neal Street, Shorts Gardens, Mercer Street, Shelton Street, Neal's Yard and the Thomas Neal Centre. Visit : www.Londoncocktailweek.com and www.sevendials.co.uk. Alliance members interested in press wristbands to London Cocktail Week should contact : Alex Frith at [email protected]. Alternative Indian city breaks ITC Hotels has a portfolio of ten super deluxe and premium hotels across India’s key cities of New Delhi, Agra, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Bengaluru and Mysore The southern city of Bengaluru enjoys an English summer-day climate making it a fine destination for taking advantage of the parks, green space and botanical gardens that has earned it the title of India’s Garden City. Just a short drive away, the historical city of Mysore is a complete contrast to Bengaluru’s regeneration and is the chance to visit the Mysore Palace and take in Chamundeshwari Hindu temple set on a hill with city views. www.itchotels.in/Hotels/itcgardenia.aspx Hyderabad – Temples & Tollywood More commonly known as a modern Indian cyber city, Hyderabad is also of architectural interest with with mosques, palaces and temples from the Islamic age. The Charminar or ‘temple of four minarets’ was built in 1591 as one of the first and finest monuments in the Kingdom of Golconda. www.itchotels.in/Hotels/itckakatiya.aspx Chennai and the Coromandel Coast Set in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Chennai and the Coromandel coast are an alternative introduction to India. Copyright © 2012 ITWA www.internationaltravelwriteralliance.com 3 Reigning from the 9thto the 13th century, the Chola empire ruled over most of south India (as well as parts of southeast Asia) and their legacy as active patrons of the arts lives on today, with art, music, drama and poetry still flourishing in the region. There is also the chance to visit the UNESCO world heritage city of Mahabalipuram and the seaside French colonial outpost of Pondicherry. www.itchotels.in/ITCGrandChola/index.html Kolkata The capital of India until 1911, Kolkata is the cultural and intellectual capital of the country. As the second city of the Empire, visitors can take in a wealth of British colonial relics; from the Victoria Memorial, as white as the Taj Mahal, to the quintessentially British Tollygunge Club. A side trip can be to Darjeeling, an archetypal hill station surrounded byemerald green tea plantation, beyond which, on the horizon, the great snow-capped peaks of the High Himalayas rise. www.itchotels.in/Hotels/itcsonar.aspx Mumbai and Goa Cosmopolitan Mumbai is the ultimate city break destination with sights, shopping, nightlife, Bollywood, Haji Ali’s Mosque floating in the Arabian Sea and local life on Chowpatty beach. Mumbai can be twined with with a trip to the beaches of Goa, reached in just one hour by plane. www.itchotels.in/Hotels/itcmaratha.aspx Delhi & Agra India’s capital is still a tried and tested starting point for an India exploration to the Red Fort; the old mosque of Jama Masjid; the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Humayun's Tomb (equal only to the Taj Mahal); Rajghat, the site of Gandhi's cremation and the President’s Palace, complete with its regular crew of monkeys. Agra has the Taj Mahal. www.itchotels.in/Hotels/itcmaurya.aspx www.itchotels.in/Hotels/itcmughal.aspx For further information and press trip requests contact Louise Ferrall at [email protected]. Working with the Alliance The following travel industry partners and agencies have registered with the Alliance and are keen to work with Alliance travel writers, editors, broadcasters and photographers. Other Alliance partners and agencies can be found at www.itwalliance.com. Partners Hedonistic Hiking (Australia) Hedonistic Hiking is a small company owned and operated by Jackie and Mick Parsons offering guided gourmet Walking Holidays in Italy and Australia. The tours are fully escorted with great attention to detail. Copyright © 2012 ITWA www.internationaltravelwriteralliance.com 4 The hotels on each hike are chosen for their authentic character and comfort, and fine dining experiences with top quality local wines means enjoying the very best produce the regions have to offer. Groups are small and friendly and the support vehicle is always on hand. Mick and Jackie have homes in Tuscany and Victoria and are passionate about the food, the wine and the walking of both countries. Visit : www.hedonistichiking.com. Contact : Jackie Parsons at [email protected]. Velti Velti is the leading global provider of mobile marketing and advertising technology and solutions that enable brands, advertising agencies, mobile operators and media to implement highly targeted, interactive and measurable campaigns by communicating with and engaging consumers via their mobile devices. Velti is a publicly held corporation based in Jersey, and trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol VELT. Visit : www.velti.com. Contact : Simon Green at [email protected]. Agencies Artemis Media Profile (UK) Artemis Media Profile is one of the North West’s leading public relations specialists.